Age 86
Sister Pat’s ring motto is LOVE, a quality she lived throughout her life with her family, community, colleagues, and all those she served.
Born in Waukee, Iowa, the youngest of nine children, Sister Pat entered the Sisters of Mercy in Omaha, Nebraska, at the age of 20. She received a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the College of St. Mary in Omaha, Nebraska, and a master’s degree in healthcare administration from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. She also completed a fellowship in healthcare ethics through Yale University in Hartford, Connecticut.
Recognized as an excellent nurse and administrator, she ministered as a nursing supervisor for nine years at hospitals throughout the Omaha, Des Moines, Boise, Portland, Oregon, and Denver dioceses.
While ministering within the Eastern Mercy Health System in Radnor, Pennsylvania, she served as vice-president and senior vice-president for sponsorship for a total of 12 years. In 1998, Sister Patricia was called back to Omaha to serve for ten years as president of the former Omaha regional community of the Sisters of Mercy. Sister Pat was instrumental in forming the Sisters of Mercy West Midwest Community which brought together six former regions of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas.
Following her time in community leadership, Sister Pat began volunteering at Bethlehem House in Omaha, Nebraska, a program for pregnant and parenting women in crisis. She served as secretary of the board of directors and is credited with creating the cuddling program that pairs volunteers with infants in offering support and respite for new moms. She was presented with The Bethlehem House 2019 Service Award.